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Sheriff Blake Turman is shown with his 2018 Deputy Officer of the Year DeWayne Ham. Christopher Smith/Star-News

Sheriff Blake Turman is shown with Winner of the 2018 Firearm Contest Joey Cato.

Sheriff Blake Turman is shown with 2018 Sheriff’s Posse Comitias Chad Clark.

Sheriff Blake Turman is shown with 2018 Corrections Officer of the Year Kenneth Dubose.

Sheriff Blake Turman is shown with Reserve Deputy Officers of the Year Justin Gantt and James O’brien.

After being in law enforcement for Covington County 14 years, Deputy DeWayne Ham was named 2018 Deputy Officer of the Year.

Ham said that he has always wanted to go into law enforcement.

“It is just something that I have always wanted to do,” Ham said. “I started being a reserve officer in Kinston in 1988 because one of my friends was an officer there.” 

He said that the thing he looks forward to the most going into work every day is making it home safely.

“The most difficult thing is some of the people that you deal with,” Ham said. “You have to get to know them and make sure that they know that you are trying to help them as much as you can.”

The best part of the job for Ham is meeting the people in the community.

“I just love being out and serving my community,” Ham said. “I just hope I can make a difference out there for the people in my community.”

Along with being a deputy with the Covington County Sheriff’s Department, Ham works part time with the Lockhart Police Department.

“Some words to describe Deputy Ham are reliable, dependable and professional,” Covington County Sheriff Blake Turman said. “He is just a professional in everything that he does especially with the people.”

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